Prof. Andrea Emilio Rizzoli has been appointed as Director of IDSIA

The Management of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts of Southern Switzerland (SUPSI) has appointed Prof. Andrea Emilio Rizzoli as the new Director of the Dalle Molle Institute for Artificial Intelligence (IDSIA USI-SUPSI). As foreseen in the context of the agreement between the two institutions, the appointment as Director of IDSIA presupposes the appointment as Adjunct Professor of the Faculty of Informatics of the Università della Svizzera italiana. This double appointment lays the best foundations for a close collaboration between USI and SUPSI in a field of growing scientific interest for both institutions.

"This is the first appointment in the context of the agreement signed this year by USI and SUPSI. The objective is clear: to create a shared research axis in a sector of growing scientific interest, with an important potential for applications, in order to position the Ticino university centre on a national and international level, leveraging on the combination of the leading disciplinary skills of the Faculty of Informatics of USI and the Department of Innovative Technologies of SUPSI" - highlighted USI Rector Boas Erez.

"The appointment of Prof. Rizzoli as Director of IDSIA represents an important step in the Institute's historical development path, which will now continue by leveraging on the high skills of its collaborators with important synergies within the Department of Innovative Technologies and the entire SUPSI. Following the move of IDSIA to the new Campus in Viganello, it will also be possible to further intensify the strategic and operational dialogue with USI, for build a stronger academic centre of expertise on these topics that are crucial for the development of the society and of numerous companies active on our territory" – said Franco Gervasoni, General Director of SUPSI.

Prof. Andrea Emilio Rizzoli has been active as a researcher since 1996 and as a Professor since 2005 at IDSIA and the Department of Innovative Technologies of SUPSI. Prof. Rizzoli has developed education and research experience at several Swiss and international universities and obtained important awards and accolades. He has also conducted education activities and coordinated research programmes in the field of Artificial Intelligence. He is active in several international scientific associations and has more than 175 scientific publications, as well as experiences in applied research projects and technology transfer activity in collaboration with local companies. Prof. Rizzoli has led IDSIA USI-SUPSI ad interim since 1 April 2020. Following his appointment as Director, he will lead the Institute through a four-year development plan, thus involving colleagues and Professors of both SUPSI and USI.